The kids

We have finally figured out a solution to our night-time problems in the past few days.  Shaylah has recently been getting scared at night and would need one of us to lie down with her until she fell asleep.  This would be OK if it was just when she first went to bed; however, she was waking up every 2-3 hours and insisted one of us lie with her each time throughout the night.  It was getting exhausting!  We have finally discovered that as long as the closet door is closed, the bedroom light is on and her bedroom door is open, then the night-time monsters leave her alone.  She goes right to sleep by herself and no longer wakes us up 3 or 4 times in the middle of the night.  It has been bliss!  Although I do have to say that I miss my sleeping buddy during the week when Johnny is not home.  :(

Ashlyn's language is really taking off these days.  She is a little chatter-box and loves to sing songs.  She attends a Mother Goose Program with our nanny on Thursdays while Shaylah is at pre-school and she teaches me the songs when I get home from work.  Favorite phrases of the week include:  "No like it", "Mommy, watch me" and "Caelan's touching me".  She also loves her pink blanket made by Grammy.  This is her sleeping blanket and as a rule is not supposed to leave her bed.  She has just figured out how to get it out of her crib on her own though and I often find her wrapped up in it on the floor.

It is amazing to me how Caelan has seemingly turned into a real boy overnight.  Not only does he love cars, but he points trains out wherever he sees them.  He has also taken a new interest in jumping.  I usually know he has climbed something high when I hear him shrieking "Mommy!  Jump!" from across the room.  He never lands on his feet, but keeps on trying.  He has also started to tackle his sisters.  He loves to jump on them and sit on them.  This does not work with Shaylah, but Ashlyn is a perfect target.

Typical

This is a typical position for Shaylah while she is watching TV.  She rarely sits on the couch on her bottom, but rather she prefers to stand on her head.  She is constantly kicking the person beside her as she falls over, so she is often banished to a couch on her own.

Peek-A-Boo Surprise!

M:  "Where's Ashlyn?"

A:  "Peek-A-Boo Surprise!"

Gymnastics

Today was Shaylah's last official day at gymnastics.  I was able to get a full refund for the next session that I had already paid for, so Shaylah is extremely grateful that she does not have to go back.  She did not enjoy it at all.  The trampoline was fun, but she found the balance beam extremely hard and scary.  I cannot figure out how to upload videos to this new blog, so these poor quality photos will have to do!  She loves her ballet class and has been begging to go back to swimming lessons.  I am just waiting until I can put all three kids into a program, instead of always having to have Ashlyn and Caelan wait outside with me.  It also seems impossible for me to join a parent-and-tot class when there are two tots and only one parent.  When they are three and can go to a class by themselves, a whole new world will open up for all of us!

Naughty Step

We use the "Naughty Step" as a consequence for bad behaviour in our house.  It is always followed by having the child explain why they are sitting there and then saying "sorry" to the offended party.  It is usually very effective.  In this case, Shaylah was sent to the "Naughty Step" and was crying very hard about not wanting to be there.  Her very concerned brother and sister (note I wanted to say "the babies") then went to console her and to keep her company while she waited out her time.  While it was very sweet, it kind of took away the effectiveness of her discipline. 

Twins

I was recently looking through some pictures on a friend's Facebook page and noticed something that I thought was interesting.  The pictures were of many people that were part of this friend's extended family.  Each person, in the many photos, was tagged by their name, except for two men that appeared to be in their mid-30s.  They were always labeled "the twins".  I felt bad that even after 30 or more years, these two men did not have an identity.  Their names were never mentioned.  They have always been known, and probably will forever be known as, "the twins".  I often call my two youngest "the babies" instead of using their names, even thought they are well past the baby stage.  I have also had several discussions with older sets of twins who found that this happened to them as well....whether they looked alike or not.  These twins often had to fight for their own friends, their own identities and their own independence.  My goal moving forward is to no longer think of my own twins as a pair, but rather one of three very special children in my life.   

The Oympics

If you haven't heard already (smile), the 2010 winter Olympics are coming to our doorstop.  I mean that quite literally too, since we are only a few minutes walking distance to an Olympic venue.  A sign has been posted outside our house for months already, warning people not to park their cars anywhere near us.  If we were to have people from out of town visiting during this time, we would have to pay to register their vehicle.  This special permit does not apply to those that live within the Lower Mainland, however; but has to be someone who lives far enough away that they could not take a cab or transit to an event.  So, if you live in Abbotsford and are hoping to park your car for free somewhere, I will warn you that you will still be walking a long distance to your event!  In fact, taxis and buses are only going to be allowed 2-3 blocks away from each venue.  One nice thing for all ticket holders is that you also receive free transit on the day of your event.  Thanks Translink!

This is a view of the local mountains outside our window.  Do you notice anything special about them?  How about the fact that there is NO SNOW!  We are hosting the WINTER Olympics in less than a month and there is no snow on the local mountains.  We have had such a mild winter.  If fact, it feels like a spring day today and none of us have had to wear coats.

Boys will be boys

So Caelan finally got some toys of his own for Christmas, instead of the girl toys that he has had to play with for the past two years.  It is quite interesting to watch his new obsession with cars and trains.  I am starting to find vehicles lined up throughout the house...Johnny thinks (jokingly of course) that he may have a bit of OCD.  I think it is great though, because he will sit and play for a long time on his own with his toys, just entertaining himself.  I find the girls are so much more needy in their play, always wanting me to direct them and to be a part.  Besides, who can complain about a boy who puts his carsaway neatly in a line after he has finished playing with them?

Ouch!

My poor Shaylah took a tumble outside of church this morning.  Not only did she scrape both of her knees, but she managed to do a pretty good job of cutting up her face as well.  Ouch!  She thinks it is a good reason to miss her gymnastics class tomorrow (which she doesn't really like).  I am still undecided on that point. 

Camera

It has been a long time since I have taken out my camera.  Today was such a beautiful day, with the sun shining, that we decided to go to the park.  After taking about 30 pictures, this one picture of Ashlyn was the only one that I liked.  I am out of practice!  I have realized lately that the reason I haven't blogged in a while (besides not having the energy at the end of a day) is that I don't have any pictures to post.  I have to change that...the kids are growing up too fast! 

The Mailman

I found this very interesting this morning.  I always take Jackpot to pre-school with me while I drop off Shaylah.  I tie him to a park bench a few feet away from the door and he sits there waiting for me while I get Shaylah ready for class.  He is always quiet and doesn't bother the many kids, dads and moms that walk by him each day.  Until today!  He started barking very loudly, so I checked on him to see what the problem was.  It was a mailman!  How did he know and why did he care when he wasn't at home protecting his own territory? 

Together

It is almost impossible to get a picture of the three kids together....forget about getting a good one.  Yesterday, they all snuggled in together on the couch to eat a snack and watch TV.

Black Family Update

This blog is meant to be about the family as a whole, so I will try to make an update on each of us.  I guess this will replace the Christmas letter that was never written or sent out!

SHAYLAH
Shaylah seems to be growing up so quickly these days and has taken on the roll of teacher and helper with her 2 younger siblings.  She enjoys holding their hands down the stairs (when they let her), catching them when they try to run away from me (an apparently very fun game) and playing games with them before bedtime (especially if it involves hide-and-seek or jumping on the bed).  She continues to attend pre-school 2 days per week, as well as gymnastics and ballet classes.  I was told today that gymnastics is very hard and that she would prefer to just take swimming and ballet.  I wish I had known that before I signed her up and paid for another 18 classes!  I guess this will just be a lesson on not giving up when things get tough.  She is a master at the forward roll, but walking on the balance beam seems to be a very scary feat for her.  Shaylah has also recently decided that pink and purple are the only colors worth wearing and that if the dress isn't "fancy" (ie have a big poofy skirt), then it might as well stay in the closet.  f it matches Ashlyn, however; she will loves it all.  She loves Tinkerbell and Thumbelina and anything Princess, but will still tolerate Dora and Handy Manny for the sake of her brother and sister.  She is addicted to board games and insists on playing 3 or 4 with mom and dad after the babies go to bed each night, often pushing bedtime way later than we would like.  Night-time is no longer a dream (pun intended!).  She has decided that monsters and Swiper the Fox all live in her closet and it has made night-time a very scary thing for her.  The light stays on all night and she wakes up scared every 2-3 hours, asking for someone to sleep with her.  This is a stage that I hope passes quickly!  She has also become an extremely picky eater, wishing to survive solely on candy and chocolate.  I remember living on melted-cheese on toast as a child for many years though, so I am not stressing about it.  She is continuing to learn Spanish, can write her own name, makes friends easily, loves to bake and is becoming much more creative in her play.

CAELAN
This little guy seems to have his mother's looks with his father's personality.  He is definitely a Vallance in his facial features, but loves to make people laugh like his father.  Everything is a joke to him, except when one of his sisters steals his toys.  He even laughs when he is scolded for doing something wrong.  He has discovered a new love of cars trains and will often be found just happily playing on his own with his bucket of vehicles.  He is also very particular about what he wears.  He has to choose the clothes of the day, otherwise they will not stay on his body.  He prefers anything with Diego, firetrucks or cars, but will also settle for animals once in a while.  Ever since his surgery in September, his speech has really taken off.  He loves to name his family members (Shaylah is definitely his favorite) and he is putting 2-3 words together consistently.  His favorite game is "where's Caelan?", where he will cover his eyes with his hands and hide in a corner with a big smile on his face.  he has recently decided that he will no longer drink from a sippy cup and that a high-chair is not for big boys.  Because of him, we all sit at a regular table in regular seats like a regular family.  I thought it would make life more difficult not having the kids strapped in, but they actually behave so much better now that they have their own independence.  I was amazed!  We have even recently been complimented in a fancy restaurant (The Cannery - awesome place!) about how well they sit in their seats.  While he still loves his mom and dad, it appears that Grampy is his most favorite in the world!

ASHLYN
Ashlyn is the quiet and sweet one.  She is happiest by her mother's side and will just sit with me no matter what I am doing (including type this).  She continues to be very little for her age (5th percentile), which just adds to her sweetness.  She loves music and can often be heard singing songs to herself, favorites being "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and "Jingle Bells".  She is a bit of a tattle-tale and often runs to me yelling "Shay-ah take it" or "Cae-nan push me".  She loves to be tickled and exclaims "more tickle again!" if I stop.  She is developing beyond expectations, in light of her earlier complications, but there are still signs of difficulty on her left side.  Most notable is her poor balance.  She gets knocked down very easily and has fallen down the stairs a few times; one fall in December needing quick attention at the ER for a large gash at the back of her head....her hair will be in a ponytail for the next 2 years to cover up the glue as is grows out!  Ashlyn aims to please and loves to help in any way she can, especially giving Jackpot food in his dish, helping to put toys away, sharing with her brother and sister.  She enjoys reading and coloring, loves anything Dora and her favorite color is pink.  She has given up her afternoon nap (and because of that, so has Caelan), which makes scheduling my day so much easier now.  She has no interest in sitting on the potty, but will tell me when her diaper needs changing, she loves to cuddle and her favorite night-time ritual is to play "No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed!".
...



MARSALIE
I am continuing to love staying home as much as possible with the little ones and am finding life getting so much busier as they get involved in more things.  I am working 2 part-time jobs at the moment.  Thursdays and Fridays are at Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children on the Acute Rehab Team.  Occasional Saturdays and Sundays doing developmental assessments for a research study comparing stress in pre-term infants vs. term babies (a study of which my own babies were part of before I got involved).  I also still take the odd shift at Children's Hospital when they need the extra coverage.  I sometimes wish for a clean house, but then remember the reason why it is so messy and feel so blessed that I am continually picking up toys.  I wish my mom was here to share my children with me, but I am thankful for in-laws who love my children and spoil them like grandparents should.

JOHNNY
Johnny is continally busy at work, spending most of each week in Victoria and away from home.  He is always wishing for more time with the family and he loves to play with the kids, especially being beat by Shaylah at board games.  He has temporarily given up basketball and golf and replaced them with Tonka Toys and My Little Pony, but he wouldn't have it any other way.  He managed to still squeeze in a half marathon this summer and hopes to enter more races once his current project is complete. 

Welcome to 2010!

With the advent of a new year, it was time to make a new blog that encompassed the family as a whole.  Welcome to "Black in Action"!